Sociology Department Course Descriptions Fall 2012

Transcription

1 Sociology Department Course Descriptions Fall 2012 Soc151 Principles of Sociology Hana Brown Sociology seeks to understand the social origins of individual thought and action as well as the organizations, institutions, and inequalities that affect social life. This course will review the major concepts and theories in sociology, giving you a sense of the questions that guide the field and the major sub-fields of sociological analysis. The readings and assignments for this course will give you a taste not only of the kinds of questions sociologists ask but how they go about answering them. We will read articles and books that use a wide array of research methods and take some time to discuss the benefits and drawbacks of each. Through your class assignments you will also have the chance to gain hands-on experience using these methods yourself. Soc151 Principles of Sociology Robin Simon The course introduces students to the sociological perspective a perspective that offers a unique and compelling way of looking at real world social issues and problems. The basic idea behind this perspective is that there is a social basis for all human activity including individual s thoughts, feelings, and behavior as well as the formation, maintenance, and persistence of social groups who have differing degrees of valued societal resources; these resources include income, wealth, status (or prestige), and influence (or power) over others. In fact, sociological research repeatedly demonstrates that the broader social context in which we live influences even our most private and personal experiences such as the development of our gendered selves, the structure and nature of our families, our peer groups, our sexuality, our educational and occupational opportunities, and both our mental and physical health. In the first part of the course, you will be introduced to basic sociological ideas and concepts including sociological theories and methods of research. We will cover the three main sociological theories, which provide different explanations of social phenomena. For the remainder of the course, we ll apply these theories to a range of social phenomena such the causes and consequences of culture, socialization, deviance and crime, gender, race, ethnic, and socioeconomic status inequality, inter-group relations (including prejudice and discrimination), sexuality, the family, social roles, emotion, and health. I will discuss and you will read sociological research on these topics based on a variety of methodologies and we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of various approaches. A theme that runs throughout the course is that there is a duality to social life. We will examine the ways in which social structures such as our culture, economy, families, and peer groups affect individuals, and conversely, the ways in which individuals affect the social structures surrounding them. A second theme of the course has to do with another duality of social life: stability and change. We will discuss persistent patterns of social interaction as well as social change. Importantly, we will discuss which groups benefit from existing social arrangements, and which groups would benefit from social change. The purpose of this course is to help you develop an appreciation of the sociological perspective, which involves thinking critically about social life. I hope that this course will stimulate you to take other sociology courses and to perhaps major in this fascinating area of study.

2 SOC 151, Principles of Sociology, Katherine McFarland Sociology is a subject for the endlessly curious. A few examples: Just what is so fascinating about those numbers above elevator doors? Why don t we dress our baby boys in pink or buy them Barbies? Why, in this land of opportunity, do so many hard-working people find it impossible to get ahead? And how is it that others succeed? None of these questions are as simple as they seem, but the sociological perspective can help the curious begin to unravel these and hundreds of other dilemmas. Thinking sociologically enables us to make observations and offer insights about the social world that extend far beyond either common sense or explanations that rely on individual quirks and personalities. This course is designed to introduce you to the sociological imagination and encourage you to develop this critical capacity to understand how the social world works. Along the way, you will become familiar with a number of key sociological concepts as well as some of the major substantive topics that sociologists study, such as gender, race/ethnicity, and class. Soc 152, Social Problems, Ian M Taplin This course examines how persistent problems plague our society, no matter what level of economic progress we seem to achieve. We start by examining the rise of big business and look at relationships of power in society. We consider the role played by the state in regulating businesses in the interest of society and we then look at inequality that is pervasive in industrial societies. This is followed by an analysis of work and education, gender and race, immigration and finally health care issues. Whilst the focus is on US society we nonetheless bring in comparative examples to situate our analysis in a global context. SOC 152, Social Problems, Ana M. Wahl The study of social problems brings us face-to-face with many of the most controversial issues central to public policy debates today. These issues include: global capitalism and poverty, unemployment, the welfare system, residential segregation, labor market discrimination, crime and crime control, and immigration and immigration reform. Many of us hold very strong opinions about each of these issues. In this course, you will be asked to think critically about these problems and your opinions. For example, what do your opinions about the welfare system assume about the causes of poverty - do the poor lack a work ethic? As part of this exercise in critical thinking, you will be asked to consider theories and perspectives that may be largely foreign to you. You will also learn to use evidence to weigh the validity of competing perspectives. For example, do statistics, in fact, support the widely held belief that women on welfare have "too many children"? Ultimately, this class is intended to foster serious thought and discussion about social problems so that you can make informed and responsible choices in the future. The information we discuss will shape our decisions about living in integrated neighborhoods, welfare reform, affirmative action, corporate responsibility, and more. These are all incredibly important decisions. As we move through this course, I'd like us to keep in mind why our opinions and the choices we make are so important: namely, because our own future as well as that of others depends heavily on these choices.

3 Soc153 Contemporary Families Catherine Harnois In this course we will examine contemporary families from a sociological perspective. We will ask demographic questions like, In what ways have U.S. families changed in the past hundred years, and what factors are driving these changes? and more theoretical questions like What does it mean to be a mother or father in our contemporary global society? We will begin the course with very brief introduction to sociology in general and sociology of the family in particular. Contemporary families cannot be well understood without putting them into a historical context, so we will them move on to discuss the transition from pre-industrial to modern family forms. The majority of the course will be spent investigating what we might call postmodern families. Throughout the course we will pay particular attention to: 1) Sociological methods for understanding contemporary families 2) the relationship between the socioeconomic landscape and the family 3) the ways in which families affect and are affected by systems of race, class, gender, age, and sexual inequality. SOC 154 Sociology of Deviant Behavior, Ken Bechtel The purpose of this course is to offer a sociological view of the persons and behaviors defined as deviant, and of the social reaction to these people and actions the goal of the course is to demystify the concept of deviance and examine its social, cultural and structural characteristics. SOC 154 Sociology of Deviant Behavior, Steven Gunkel In this course, we will look at deviance by tracing its sociological history. Specifically, we will examine the social forces (such as religion, politics, and economics) underlying the definition, measurement, explanation, and control of deviance. Particular forms of deviance that are examined include elite deviance, mass suicide, deviance in colleges and universities, mental illness, and terrorism. SOC 155 Public Culture in America, Joseph Soares This course is designed to introduce undergraduates to the discipline and vocation of sociology by exploring one broad substantive theme: public cultural life in America. Our class is a sociological inquiry into American cultural practices, beliefs and institutions, with comparative glances at other nations. There are two sociologically important payoffs to our focus on culture. We look at everyday culture in order to, first, evaluate the health of our democratic polity, and second, to see how culture contributes to social mobility or social inequality. Two explanatory mechanisms will be employed. The concept of social capital will be used in the first half of the semester to investigate our civic engagement and social ties; and in the second half of the semester the concept of cultural capital will be used to document the role of culture in one s life chances and in the production of social differences. SOC 270, Sociological Theory Catherine Harris Sociology 270 is an overview of the theorists who have contributed to the development of sociology. We begin with the philosophical and historical roots of sociology then focus on schools of thought and individual theorists. Our discussions will include Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, Max Weber and contemporary theorists W.E.B. DuBois, Erving Goffman and Immanuel Wallerstein. We will read primary sources, write critical analysis of what we read and discuss them. We create a paperless paper in which we gather notes from reading primary sources; produce an outline and an abstract all toward the goal of applying the work of the theorist to some social situation. The question is does this theorist explain or offer insight into what happened?

4 SOC 270, Sociological Theory, Joseph Soares This course provides an extensive introduction to the classic works of social theory. These texts deserve the label "classic" not only as time-honored explanations of past events but also because they provide the intellectual foundations for contemporary social and historical research. We begin with Smith, Burke, Wollstonecraft, de Tocqueville, and Marx on the great transformation from an aristocratic and agrarian social order to an egalitarian and capitalist society. We explore the cultural dilemmas of modernity with Durkheim, Weber, and Freud; we touch on the neglected themes of aesthetics and race with Simmel and DuBois. And we end on two of the most powerful contemporary research concepts, social capital and cultural capital, in the works of Coleman and Bourdieu SOC 271, Social Statistics, Robert S. Breckenridge This course will reveal the basic techniques of analyzing data in the social sciences. The course will focus on basic techniques of measuring characteristics of societies and the fundamental tools for analyzing quantitative data. We will cover both descriptive and inferential statistics with an emphasis on the fundamental components associated with multiple regression a central technique for uncovering the relationships between multiple variables, such as the combined effect of education, race, and criminal background on the likelihood of someone being offered a job interview. The prerequisite for this course is any one of the set of 100-level courses offered by the sociology department; and there is an assumption of accurate and competent skills in algebra and basic mathematical computation. The course is intended to dovetail with Soc 272 (Methods of Social Research), though the two can be taken in any order. The course includes three hours of lecture/discussion/practice and one hour of SPSS lab each week. Grades will be based on regular tests, a data analysis paper, and a cumulative final exam to be held on the date scheduled by the university. SOC 272, Research Methods in Sociology, Steven Gunkel This course examines a critical part of the sociological enterprise our methods and tools for understanding the social world around us. We will explore how these methods (both quantitative and qualitative) have been influenced by major theoretical perspectives within the discipline, the types of measures commonly used by sociologists (and why they are used), proper usage of these measurement tools, and the interpretation and applications of these research methods. SOC 301, Sociology of Religion, David Yamane This course will survey the sociological study of religion. Religion is a complex phenomenon. It involves a meaning system with an interrelated set of beliefs, rituals, symbols, values, moods, and motivations. Each of these interacts in diverse and complex ways with one another, sometimes being mutually supportive and sometimes conflicting. Religion is also a social structure with established statuses, organizational patterns, and even bureaucratic dilemmas. This structure is itself diverse and multifaceted, characterized by both conflicts over self- interests and strains toward coherence and integration. Finally, religion is a system of belonging, with friendship networks, group boundaries, and informal norms that may be quite independent of the formal structure or official meaning systems. These three aspects of religion are themselves interdependent, forming a larger system that is in some ways coherent and in some ways in tension and discord. Further, religion is part of a larger social system, and as such it both affects and is affected by this larger system. It is precisely this complexity of religion, including the complexity of its relationship to the larger society and to the world system, that we explore in this class.

5 Soc305 Gender in Society Catherine Harnois This course introduces students to some of the most important themes in the sociology of gender. Throughout the course, we will ask (1) To what extent do inequalities of sex and gender exist in the contemporary United States (2) How have gender, sex, and sexual differences and inequalities changed over time (and place)? (3) And what sociological and/or feminist theories can help us to understand the causes of these differences and inequalities? As an upper-division course, this course requires the active participation of all students on a daily basis. Soc327 Sociology of Emotion Robin Simon This seminar is intended to introduce students to the exciting field of the sociology of emotion. Although most of us think that feelings are deeply personal and private experiences comprised of physiological and psychological elements sociologists argue that they are heavily influenced by social factors. In this seminar, we ll explore the social side of emotion including how they are socially learned, shaped, regulated, controlled, and distributed in the population as well as the consequences of emotion culture, emotion norms, emotion management, emotional labor, and emotional deviance for individuals, social groups, and society. A major theme of the course is the relationship between gender and emotion; we ll read about and discuss gender-linked norms about the appropriate experience and expression of emotion for males and females as well as gender differences in actual emotional experience and expression the topic of my own research. Over the semester, we ll read and discuss five books. Three books focus on specific emotions such as love, sympathy, and denial, while the other two focus on various aspects of emotion (including emotion management in the workplace and the emotion culture of a volunteer search and rescue group). We ll also read journal articles about emotion. Here, we ll discuss ways in which medical students learn norms about appropriate and inappropriate feelings and examine whether there are gender differences in the experience and expression of emotion in the U.S. among other topics. Throughout the semester we ll view several films, which illustrate different aspects of emotion that we ll be reading about. Because this is a seminar, I will not lecture. Instead, the seminar will consist of weekly class discussions, which includes your own reactions to the readings and films. The success of the seminar depends on your active participation; with your involvement, this class will be fun and a great learning experience for all of us. Because this course emphasizes the strength of sociological analysis for understanding all aspects of social life including those that are highly personal and private such as emotion this learning experience will hopefully inspire you to consider majoring in sociology at WFU and/or attending graduate school in sociology in the future. My goals are for you to: (a) develop an appreciation of sociological research on the social causes and consequences of emotion; and (b) further develop your analytic, speaking, and writing skills. SOC 341, Criminology, Ken Bechtel The purpose of this course is to offer a sociological view of the creation of criminal law and the persons and actions defined as criminal. The goal is to penetrate the common sense, mass media, and ideological perceptions about crime and criminals, and to de-mystify the discussion of crime and the criminal law. Specifically, the goal of this course is to: (1) Stimulate and evaluation of your preconceptions and knowledge about crime; (2)) Offer an analytical framework with which to think intelligently about the facts you learn about crime; andf (3) Provide information about the policies directed toward the crime problem with a critical assessment of the assumptions upon which these policies are based.

6 SOC 343, Sociology of Law, Ken Bechtel The purpose of this course is to introduce the student to the sociological analysis of the law and the legal system. In modern societies law touches all areas of social life. Judicial decisions and legal statutes are at the center of debates over educational policy, family life, race relations, technology, and other social issues. If we are to understand our society, we must study how law is created and applied. What can sociology contribute to the study of law? Law, which affects so many social processes, is itself a product of social actions. It is people elected officials, police, attorneys, judges, defendants, and plaintiffs who make law. On the street, in court, in board rooms, the actions of people are influenced by written law, their own past experiences, and their relationships with other people. It would be impossible to understand the legal system without sociology. The goal of this course, then, is to provide the student with a basic knowledge of the legal system and an understanding of those social processes that affect this system. We will investigate legal structure and social process concerning the origins, application, development and practice of law. SOC 347, Society, Culture, and Sport, David Yamane In this course we will examine the interrelationship of sport and other social institutions (for example, religion), social processes (for example, globalization), and social outcomes (for example, race, gender, and class inequality). The course will emphasize both the structure of sport and the functions of sport for society. It will include a mandatory service learning component. SOC 352, White-Collar Crime, Steven Gunkel From the failure of Enron to the multibillion dollar Ponzi schemes to genocide and ethnic cleansing campaigns, white-collar crime remains an ever-present threat in today s society. This course will examine 1) controversies surrounding the proper definition of white-collar crime, 2) how much and what types of white-collar offending have occurred in the past and present, 3) explanations for the causes of white-collar crime, and 4) control strategies and their implications for society. Sociology 360 Social Inequality Hana Brown Social inequality in the United States is characterized by a great paradox. On one hand, this country is more unequal than any other industrialized democracy in the world and the gap between rich and poor is growing wider. On the other, American culture is rooted in a deeply held belief in meritocracy, equality, and opportunity. This course will explore this paradox by examining the causes, consequences, and possible solutions for ameliorating social inequality. We will first discuss how sociologists define, measure, and explain various types of social inequality, with a central focus on class, race/ethnicity, and gender. Next, we will explore some of the primary institutional mechanisms responsible for structuring and perpetuating these three types of inequality: the family, the education system, labor markets, public policy, and the criminal justice system. We will conclude the course by discussing how dominant American cultural norms of individual responsibility, meritocracy, and colorblindness complicate collective attempts to address inequality. This course will ultimately teach students to think sociologically about how to overcome the challenges of race, class, and gender inequality in the United States. SOC 369, Social Movements, Katherine McFarland Between Occupiers, Tea Partiers, and glitter bombers, citizens seem to be continually protesting for social change. In this course we will explore the theory and research behind social movements. Topics covered include social movement organization, leadership, and recruitment, protest tactics, and movement effectiveness. In addition to traditional readings and classroom instruction, students will participate in activities for the cause of their choice, including attending an organizing meeting and participating in a protest.

7 SOC 373, Honors Seminar, Saylor Breckenridge The Sociology Honors Program can serve as the culmination of the major in sociology at Wake Forest University. This program is centrally organized around the pursuit of a formal independent research project with a faculty advisor. This honors thesis typically involves data collection and analysis and is developed to answer a fundamentally sociological question. Successful completion of the program will result in graduation with honors from Wake Forest University. This identifies you as someone having completed an honors thesis and can signal to future graduate school programs or prospective employers that you are an extra-ordinary person, capable of independent research, critical thinking, and clear writing at a professional level. Only majors with a WFU GPA of 3.0 or higher, and a GPA in sociology of at least 3.3 may join the program. Anyone interested in pursuing the honors program should contact the director as soon as possible by . No one can register for the program without the director s permission. Honors counts as one regular three-credit-hours course in each semester of the senior year. In the fall, SOC 373 is a regular course taught by the director where all members of the program work to hone their projects and general research skills, and in the Spring, SOC 397 is an Honors Independent Study where students complete the project, working with their key faculty advisor. Each spring semester, all the juniors (rising seniors) who are eligible for the program will be notified and provided with an opportunity to meet and discuss the program with the director prior to enrolling in the program. SOC 386, Spec Problems Seminar, Immigration, Ana Wahl This course will examine contemporary debates about migration and immigration in the United States as well as other contexts. We will examine both public discourse as well as state policies, including "border security measures", detention and deportation, and the Arizona law (SB1070) with an emphasis on the political, economic and social forces that shape these initiatives and the consequences for civil and human rights. This analysis will also reflect a historical perspective that examines public discourse and policy as it has unfolded for more than a century in this country and abroad.